Greetings to you all who have supported and commented on this petition. As you may remember we forwarded this petition and comments to the listed decision makers and have been awaiting a response. We finally have a response from the US Food and Drug Administration. The following is their response.

Dear Richard and Amanda,
 
Thank you for writing to the Division of Drug Information (DDI) in the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). This is in response to your May 8, 2025, letter regarding your concerns about mental health treatment and the experiences you and others have had with psychopharmacological medications.
 
We understand your letter and petition materials represent deeply personal experiences of harm and suffering. Your advocacy for informed decision-making and patient education reflects critical aspects of healthcare quality and safety. The experiences you describe highlight the importance of ensuring that patients have comprehensive information about both the potential benefits and risks of psychiatric medications when making treatment decisions.
 
We want to clarify that FDA's role focuses on ensuring the safety and efficacy of medications before they reach the market, rather than regulating how healthcare providers practice medicine or make prescribing decisions. FDA does not regulate the practice of medicine, which includes decisions about when, how, and to whom medications are prescribed. These clinical decisions remain within the professional judgment of licensed healthcare providers who are familiar with the individual patients’ circumstances, medical history, and treatment needs.
 
You may be interested in watching our July 21, 2025,  FDA Expert Panel on Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Pregnancy The panel discussion is posted on our website and on YouTube. 
 
If we can be of further assistance, or if you have drug-related questions or concerns in the future, you may call us at 301-796-3400, toll free at 855-543-3784, or e-mail us at druginfo@fda.hhs.gov.
 
 Sincerely,
 
 /s/
   
 Sonia Kim, PharmD
 Drug Information Specialist
 Division of Drug Information
 Center for Drug Evaluation and Research
 U.S. Food and Drug Administration

This is a good start but there is still much more work to do. We currently have 1508 signatures and 59 comments from 54 countries and 47 US States. We plan to submit this petition and updated comments a second time, and periodically after that,  to the decision makers as well as several media outlets once we have reached 2000 signatures. Please help us continue to spread this petition and spread awareness to add to the growing set of voices demanding change in the mental health system and specifically to the psycho-pharmacological prescribing / de-prescribing practices that is so desperately needed to prevent others from going through this withdrawal nightmare that so many have already had to endure.

Thanks again for you support. Together we can ensure that the changes that are needed will come.

Rich and Amanda